All Things D says that the venue is an old building at Santa Monica Airport, just outside Los Angeles, that often hosts private events and film shoots.

It is a very large venue and so the announcement is expected to be a big one. Around a year ago, Amazon announced that its Kindle eReader range would expand to a new tablet computer called the Kindle Fire.

Priced considerably cheaper than Apple's iPad, the seven-inch screen-toting Android slate has proved a big hit with customers in the US.

However, the product has still not expanded internationally, amid reports that Amazon has struggled to agree content deals for territories such as the UK.

There has been plenty of speculation about what Amazon could do next with its tablet line, including a Kindle Fire 2 slate offering a bump in specs on the original, or possibly a larger screen slate to compete with the iPad.

All Things D's sources claim that the new device will launch before the Christmas shopping season, and be lighter and thinner than the original Kindle Fire.

They also say that it will feature a camera and an improved display. It is also likely that Amazon will announce new content deals for movies, TV, games and other forms of entertainment at the launch event.

Hopefully, Amazon will also confirm that the new product will roll out internationally, including a debut for the tablet line in Britain.